Selected quad for the lemma: word_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	bishop_n	office_n	presbyter_n	2,819	5	10.5738	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86198	The vnlavvfulnes and danger of limited prelacie, or Perpetuall precidencie in the Church, briefly discovered.	Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1641 (1641)	Wing H1444; Thomason E206_5; ESTC R212599	12,364	23

are called (e) 1. Pet. 5.1 Elders But this is not reciprocall for the ordinary and inferiour are never called by the names of the extraordinary and superiour the Deacon is not called an Elder nor the Pastor by the name of the Apostle or Evangelist It is true that Barnabas is called an Apostle (f) Acts 14.4 and 14. because he was an Apostle of Christ as Paul was Titus and others (g) 2 Co. 8 13. and Epaphroditus (h) Phil. 8.23 are onely called Apostles or Messengers of the Church Whence it must follow that the Office of a Bishop is not an Office superiour to the Office of a Pastor since the name Bishop is common to the Pastor and that the Office of a Bishop and the Office of a Pastor are not different but one and the same office Since the names are altogether common in all the places of the New Testament (i) Acts 20.28 Phil 1.1 1 Tim. 3.2 1 Pet. 5.1 And the Syriacke Interpreter hath translated the one by the other (k) Tit. 1.7 What reason can there be while the Officers are distinguished by their names and the names of Bishop and Pastor are common but that the Office of the Bishop and Elder is one and the same Office the one name signifying sapientiae maturitatem and the other Industriam curae Pastoralis saith Beda No Bishop of Bishops or of Pastors in Scripture We finde that in the Ministery of the New Testament there is a comely beautifull and Divine Order one kinde of Ministers both ordinary and extraordinary being placed in degree and dignity before another as the Apostles before all other Ministers the Pastor before the Elder and Deacon But we doe not finde in Ministers of the same kind that one hath majority of power over others or priority of degree and dignity before others except upon the morall respect of age zeale gifts c. No Apostle is in degree above other Apostles no Evangelist above other Evangelists nor Elder above other Elders no Deacon above other Deacons upon what ground then from Scripture can wee beleeve or conceive that one Pastor is in degree superiour to other Pastors or that in all other sorts of Ministers ordinary and extraordinary there 's all be a parity in their owne kind and onely in the Office of Pastors an inequality The whole power and all the parts of the Ministrie which commonly are expressed Every Pastor hath power of ordination and Jurisdiction by the power of Order and Jurisdiction are in Scripture made common to the Pastor and the Bishop for the Pastor hath power to Preach the Word and minister the Sacraments As one of the Presbyterie hee hath power to lay on hands and ordaine Ministers (l) 1 Tim. 4.14 and hath not onely the Keyes of the inward and private Court of Conscience but hath also committed unto him and his fellow Presbyters the Keyes of the outward and publique Court of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction and censure and both wayes to bind and loose in when the Apostles first planted the Christian Churches and when they were to depart and were neare unto death they recommended the care of these duties in all the Chruches unto the particular Pastors or Bishops (m) Act. 15.6 Act. 16.4 Act. 20 28 ●9 1 Cor. 5. 1 Cor 14.32 40. 1 Th● 5.12 Tit. 1.9 1. Tim. 5.12 Heb. 13.17 And therefore the Pastor and Bishop are in Scripture one and the same in power and degree neither hath the Bishop any degree or power order or Jurisdiction but that which hee arrogateth to himselfe for the honour of his Priesthood and for setting up his Monarchicall power against the word of God nor ought any such power bee given him A point which is strongly proved by our Divines against Papists and Prelates Ecclesiasticall power was not committed by Christ to any one but to many Power ecclesiasticall not given to one but to many It is not said tell the Bishop or any one of the Church but tell the Church (n) Mat. 18.17 nor was it exercised and acted by any one of the Apostles alone for Paul not a lone but with a Presbyterie laid hands upon (o) 1 Tim. 4.14 Timothy and the Apostles not alone but joyning with the Elders (p) Act. 15. did determine controversies and discerne censures the same also was the practice of the Apostolicke Churches at Corinth Thessalonica and in Asia In all which the Discipline of the Church was exercised by many and not by any one And therefore to exalt a Bishop to any part of his power or any degree of Eminence above his Brethren for exercising this power is against the Institution of Christ and contrary to the practice and patterne of the Apostles and Apostolicke Churches All majority forbidden the Officers All majority and preheminence in this kinde is expresly forbidden by Christ the Kings of the Nationas c. (q) Luke 22 25. according to this the Apostle Peter disclaimeth not pride in majority but majority it selfe (r) 1 Pet. 5.1 Non est dictum sola humilitate sed veritate saith Bernard Non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prohibet Christus non modum rei sed rem ipsam say others Other wayes that which Tacitus writeth of Otho might have beene applied to them Omnia servilit●r pro dominatione and the temptation of the Disciples was not tyranny but superiority Christ speaketh to them sometimes of Thrones of glory in the Church Triumphant never of any throne of Dignity in the Church Militant If any such throne whether of Ecclesiasticall authority or perpetuall presidence had beene lawfull would hee not at sometimes have taught them what it was and with what cautions and Limitations they were to possesse it as that you shall have precedency of degree Precepts in the Gospell to be interpreted according to the rules of the Precepts of the law but not of power of dignity but not of authority These and the like argments Militant not onely against the exorbitancy of Prelates but against the Prelacy of the Ministers of Iesus Christs and if wee will as indeed must understand the commandements of Christ in the Gospell (ſs) Mat. 5.19 〈◊〉 27 33 43. according to the rules agreed upon in the interpretation of the precepts of the Law we must confesse that not onely the Tyranny the Pride the Pompe the Priority and power of Lord Bishops but all the parts all the degrees meanes causes Incentives occasions provocations beginnings and appearances of these evils are forbidden and that we are commanded to stop the way with thornes (t) Hos 2.6 least they returne to their former lovers and to hide all their earerings that they be not found againe (u) Gen. 35.4 Rule of reformation from the prime times If the reformation of Episcopacy be intended we must not take our rule and patterne from ancient and Primitive times but

Pastor no sooner becommeth a Prelate but he beginneth to howle with the Wolves although he looke like a Shepheard he turneth his backe upon his Pastorall charge or looketh downe upon it and his fellow Brethren as below him and setteth his face toward the world hoping by time to be loosed of his bands and to become one of the greatest Officers of estate and blowing the bellowes of division betwixt the King and his Nobles and betwixt the King and the Church that his serviceablenesse may appeare the more and hee may bee warmed by the fire which hee hath kindled himselfe They will now accept of Limitation and it may be some of them call for it But did any of them speak of late against the exorbitancy of their Brethren or will they heare of moderation afterward If we will lay aside prejudices we may clearly perceive that the Church perfect in Officers may be governed without Prelates with more honour to God with more love and respect to Authority at home and abroad with greater riches and glory to the Crowne with more contentment to the people greater peace amongst our selves and greater terror to all our enemies The different use of the names of Pastor and Prelate dangerous Although we doe not contend about words yet the appropriation and Monopoly of names in matters of this nature hath in it more realty then at first We do observe there is no inequality nor difference of Office power or degree betwext a Pastor and a Bishop It is against reason to call on Pastor by the name of a Presbyter or Minister and another by the name of a Bishop the differences of the names doth beget conceptions of different degrees and Offices doth procure worldly respect and in processe of time anthority to one Presbyter above another and so maketh way to Episcopall Monarchie is alreadily mistaken through ignorance or inadvertency as implying a relation not to a particular flocke but to other Pastors and a whole Diocesse and hath been in the Church of Scotland dangerously misapplyed by many conceiving the name of Bishop which onely designed the benefice to be the name of the Office and thereby presuming that the Office of a Bishop still remained there which was also our errour concerning the government of that Church till we were better informed of late against this no better remedy then that the thing being abolished the name be no more appropriated When the time of perswasion cometh a few arguments are sufficient Neither doe we intend nor can any man expect nor doe the weighty affaires of those whom this matter most concerneth suffer any large debate about it volumnes are stuffed with arguments on both sides conscience of dutie in this Article of time observation of providence courage for the cause of God and contempt of the world will helpe our resolution against the subtilties sophistications and wranglings of humane wit which will no more receive satisfaction in this question of the regall office of Chirst nor the Papists will suffer themselves to be silenced in other controversies about this or his other offices When the appointed time cometh of the ending of long lasting debates it is not unlike unto the rising of the Sunne after a long Winter night and the eyes to see are more usefull then arguments to perswade the wayes of god are made knowne and darknesse can no more prevaile against the light in no Theme have colours and praetexts beene more multiplyed then in this of Prelacie the ambition and avarice of the heart of man quickning his spirits and giving life to his braines for his owne miserable ends but to an indifferent eye and a minde unpartially disposed and not interessed they suddenly disappeare and evanish nothing is more pretended then antiquity although they can say with Cyprian consuetudinem veritate majorem non esse although disputing for their dignitie they put the purple robe of authority upon the Fathers yet when the Papists dispute against them by this authoritie they quickly put it off againe and although they boast of the Fathers and will prove the superioritie of Bishops from severall forcible arguments out of antiquity yet finde they disappointment and emptinesse where they desire most to abound for nothing in all this cause is more pressed by the strongest amongst them then that the Angels of the Churches of Asia were Bishops like unto themselves and yet not want of will in them and diligence in reading of the Fathers but the Fathers whom they would have to pronounce not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O childe but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O sonne of lupiter writing on the place are mute and doe faile them turning their glosses another way but this and all other their pretences are answered and the whole matter of true Church governement treated at large many yeeres agoe without a word of reply from the Bishops or their Clergie who yet try all Authors if they can finde so much as one sentence even in dedicatorie Epistles which use to be more encomiastick then dogmaticall to speak for them It hath beene the greatest praise of civill powers that they have exceeded all who went before them in the reformation of religion Motives to a full reformation Asa tooke away Idolatrie but Iehosaphat removed the high places also Hezekiah did more he brake the brazen serpent but Iosiah destroyed the Idole Temples also who therefore hath this restimony to the end of the world that like unto him there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart with all his soule and with all his might neither is this a dispraise to Religious Princes going before who according to their measure of knowledge and as the times would suffer did reforme Religion nor a disgracing but rather a promoting and perfecting of the worke of Reformation begun by them The matters of the Kingdome of Christ the head and Monarch of his Church are in hand in which as in our own matters we have no power to dispense or to decline to the right hand or to the left and to rest in a lukewarmnesse or Samaritanisme which may make our condition afterward to be restlesse and provoke the Lord to make us a reproach The changes and revolutions which we heare of in other Kingdomes are documents that the divine Providence is about some great worke in which we are now called to act our part in the sight of men and Angels Non tantum praesentis sed vigilantis est occasioneus observare properantem Senec Epist 22 The opportunity of Reformation is rare and singular and cannot be parallel'd in any History and therefore to be used in all reverence with heavenly prudence and abstractnesse of spirit from earthly considerations We are zealous of our owne liberties let us be more zealous of the liberties of the Kingdome of Christ that both we our selves and the Posterity may have a well grounded and blessed Peace FINIS